A Periodical of Photographic Junkets

Asia

In the far southeast edge of Myanmar/Burma sits a series of islands that are among the most untouched and remote in the world: the Mergui Archipelago. Visiting the Mergui Archipelago requires some advanced planning and time, but getting there is not as difficult as you think.

Many people know the region for the Moken sea gypsies, a topic I’ve written on in the past. Visiting the Mergui Archipelago is the only way to see the Moken sea gypsies, but the trip is well worth it and provides an opportunity to see some of the most remote, untouched islands anywhere.

Pre-departure briefing on our route and destinations within the Mergui Archipelago!

One of the few departure points to visit the Mergui Archipelago is out of the Myanmar/Burmese port of Kawthoung, which is located at the very southern tip of the country and is just across an inlet from Ranong, Thailand. I flew domestically from Yangon/Rangoon to Kawthoung Airport, although as of this posting you can also fly from Bangkok to Ranong on Nok Air, then take a small boat across.

Time to rig the sails and set out for the open sea! (Great, now I’ll be humming “Come Sail Away” for the next week)

I’d plan in advance and have a tour of the Mergui Archipelago already booked, and keep in mind that the season ends around late April/early May. After that, the monsoon season starts and most tour companies close up for the season. I went in April and it was hot, upwards of 110+ (43C+) on some days — one day the sunlit deck of the sailboat was literally hot enough to fry an egg, but you could always cool off in the sea and the sea-breeze kept things reasonable.

This small fishing boat on the horizon was the last boat we saw for hours!

Although the Mergui Archipelago isn’t as nearly closed off as it was in the early 2000’s, entry by foreigners is still strictly controlled. Before departing, Myanmar Immigration officers boarded our boat and gathered the passports of all guests and crew until we returned to port. It was a little unsettling at first, but the officers were extremely friendly, and — keep in mind — they really want to protect this natural treasure, so it’s important they control entry.You can book a tour of nearly any length —from overnight to 1-2 weeks, although there are not many approved operators (and nowhere to resupply), so longer voyages can really put a dent in your pocketbook.Once we left the Kawthoung & Ranong area, we could go hours without seeing another boat — even far away on the horizon. This is truly one of the last undiscovered places.The islands themselves were beautiful, peppered throughout the Andaman Sea in all shapes and sizes. Many had immaculate beaches where you could easily spend a day relaxing or exploring and have the entire island to yourself. As mentioned earlier, we also made two stops in villages of Moken sea gypsies, which was a one of a kind experience.

Stay tuned to The Prodigal Dog for more posts on Myanmar and the Andaman Sea (and check out our post on Mandalay). And don’t forget to subscribe!

This small fishing boat on the horizon was the last boat we saw for hours!

Time to rig the sails and set out for the open sea! (Great, now I’ll be humming “Come Sail Away” for the next week)

Pre-departure briefing on our route and destinations within the Mergui Archipelago!

The nation of Bhutan is like a modern day Shangri-La. Nestled into the peaks of the Himalayas, it’s extremely difficult to access by land, and has only one airport with only a few flights a day.

Arriving at Paro Airport

Bhutan is largely Buddhist and focuses great efforts on preserving its cultural heritage, beautiful natural resources, and national identity. The country is perhaps most famous for its Gross National Happiness, a measure devised by its government. In contrast to GDP, an economic measure used around the world, Gross National Happiness measures the contentment of the population.

The main street of Paro sits about 3,000 feet below the Tiger’s Nest.

Bhutan is a must-see amongst adventure seekers, mostly due to its numerous treks available through the surrounding Himalaya, and breathtaking Buddhist monasteries and temples. Chief among them is the Tiger’s Nest, not far from Paro, home of the country’s airport and, therefore, arrival point for most visitors.

Tiger’s Nest, or Taktsang, can only be reached on foot by hike. The trip is advertised to take roughly 2-3 hours, which I found to be true on average. More experienced hikers will move more quickly, while others may need more time.

As long as you’re in reasonably good shape (and acclimatized to the altitude), you should have no problem reaching the monastery — there were two members in our group in their late 60’s who had no trouble, but did need a little extra time. The journey isn’t overly arduous or technical.

As mentioned, acclimatization to the altitude is important. Paro sits at an altitude of roughly 7,200ft (~2,200m), while Tiger’s Nest is just above 10,000ft (~3,050m). Be sure to drink plenty of water, as this aids in acclimatization.

The Tiger’s Nest of today is a modern recreation, but is nevertheless stunning, and even seems at first glance to be out of a fairy tale or movie set. The original monastery, built in 1692, caught fire and burned down in the late 20th century, mostly due to the remove location — it’s hard to get a fire crew and sufficient water up a hiking trail.

A trip to the Tiger’s Nest has a feeling of being other-worldly, as with many places in Bhutan. This stunning creation is unlike anything you’ve ever seen!

In the heart of Myanmar’s second largest city lies a large palace of biblical proportions — Mandalay Palace. It’s hard to fully realize the size of Mandalay Palace without seeing it for yourself — it takes the form of a square roughly 5 miles in perimeter. A large, medieval-style moat encircles the historic site, which is roughly 2 centuries old.

At sunset, the wall’s towers are lit up — a beautiful site, especially on a calm night, when the moat’s water is still and reveals a stunning reflection of the structure against a multicolored sunset.

If the structure wasn’t impressive enough, it feels even larger when trying to circumnavigate it on a particularly hot day. The day I set out around the palace, the mercury read 112 degrees F (that’s 44 C), hitting a 115 heat index.

Despite that, it’s a great place to sit in the shade, drink [lots] of water, and intermingle with locals. Believe it or not, I was one of perhaps only three or four foreigners I saw on my long walk — like much of Myanmar, Mandalay remains relatively unexplored by outsiders.

A photo from Mandalay Hill looking into the Burmese countryside

Some of the best views of Mandalay Palace can be seen from nearby Mandalay Hill, an elevated area of the city containing several temples, historic sites, and view points. From there, you can see for miles, be it straight down Mandalay’s wide avenues or deep into the Burmese countryside.

It wasn’t until two days later that I had a chance to explore Mandalay Palace itself, inside the massive structure at the center of the city. Check back soon for a full post on Mandalay Palace’s structures.

After my long walk, I quickly found a local outdoor restaurant that served ice cold beer and some delicious fried rice. My dinner tab of two beers and a large plate of chicken fried rice came to a total of about $1.80.

In the center of Yangon (aka Rangoon), Myanmar/Burma’s largest city, is the Shwedagon Pagoda, a massive golden stupa and the most holy Buddhist site in Myanmar.

Pictures do not do justice to the Shwedagon Pagoda: it is over 320 feet tall and covered in plates of solid gold. You read that right, this is not gold leaf we are talking about here, but think bricks of gold. It is said there’s more gold on the Shwedagon Pagoda than was ever contained in the vaults of Fort Knox.

According to sources, the top is a crown tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies, including a 76 karat diamond at the very top, but good luck ever seeing it — this thing is so huge that no matter where you stand, it’s difficult to make out its spire.

Interestingly, the Shwedagon Pagoda isn’t what you imagine from a holy site. Although pilgrims and the faithful can be found praying throughout the temple, the overwhelming atmosphere is festive and sociable. I was stopped by no less than 10 local Burmese who wanted to know where I was from and what I thought of Myanmar.

To get to the pagoda, you enter at the foot of a hill and must walk up a large, interior set of steps flanked by merchants. The photo above is only one of at least two or three such corridors. If you look below, you can see the exterior of the corridors climbing up the hill — this gives you some sense of the scale of the pagoda.

Most of this climb is done barefoot (no shoes or socks) due to the religious prohibition of footwear inside temples. For those visiting, plan ahead and bring a plastic bag to carry your shoes in. After exiting, a couple of wet wipes will also go a long way to make your world right before putting your shoes back on.

If you’re going to Myanmar, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a must-see, unlike any other place in the world. If you’re looking for other images of this beautiful country, click here to visit our Myanmar page with a full list of entries.

In the far southern tip of Burma, there lies a a span of remote islands largely untouched by the outside world. Known as the Mergui Archipelago, it consists of some 800 islands and is largely closed to outsiders. These islands are empty of outside development and unpopulated by all but one group: the Moken, also known as the sea gypsies.

The Moken sea gypsies have lived in this region for centuries, historically traveling from island to island on live-aboard boats, occasionally making temporary huts. Moken men are known as some of the best free divers in the world, able to hold their breath for 5-8 minutes underwater while diving to catch fish.

Some still follow the traditional, nomadic way of life — sailing from island to island on small boats as their ancestors did. Others have taken to living in small villages spread throughout the region. These towns allow children to attend school and give shelter and better care for the sick and elderly.

Even here, however, you see few young men. They often set out on fishing trips for several days, or longer, as their ancestors did before them.

If you’re going to live the life of a sea gypsy, you could not pick a more beautiful place to do it. Above and below are a couple of photos of the surrounding region — the color here hasn’t been altered; this is actually what these sunsets look like.

To get into the Mergui, you must first find a tour operator with a license to enter the archipelago. Then, upon entering, your tour operator obtains a permit for you and the Myanmar government closely checks the paperwork, then holds onto your passport during your time in the archipelago. If you do visit, you’re bound to see at least a few boats of the sea gypsies in your time there.

The best entry points for the Mergui Archipelago are Kawthaung, Myanmar and nearby Ranong, Thailand.

Inle Lake is unlike any place you have ever seen, in person or through photographs. Traditional leg rowing fishermen, floating gardens, hotels on stilts, and water taxis are the norm here, and although the lake draws plenty of tourists, you won’t find crowds or big tourist attractions.

Far from the busy, modern cities of Yangon & Mandalay, and in a radically different microclimate, it is easy to feel like you’ve stepped into a distant world. Most people come here to see the lake and experience its unique people and culture.

I never thought I would be “dusted” by a couple of monks on a motorboat!

A couple of monks leave us in their dust. This was simultaneously awesome and extremely humbling, like getting passed by a 90 year old in a Cadillac on the highway because you’re driving too slowly.

There are many ways to explore Inle, but the best is to stay on the lake itself. Once you get there, likely from Yangon or Mandalay, you find yourself in a water taxi to your destination. This was, by far, the most fascinating taxi I have ever been on. Monks, leg rowing fishermen, weavers, gardeners, and foreigners alike crisscross the lake on elegantly-shaped long tail boats. I never thought I would be “dusted” by a couple of monks on a motorboat!

Most accommodations on Inle Lake take the form of “floating hotels”.

Many of the accommodations on the lake are “floating hotels”, like ours pictured here. The only way in or out is via water taxi. As someone who loves water, but isn’t much of a beach-goer, this had the best of both worlds. The only downside is the locals hit the water with motorboats as early as 4am, which is about as tranquil as a runaway freight train, but you can’t have it all, right?

Inle Lake’s iconic leg rowing fisherman learn to balance on one leg, row with the other, and operate fishing equipment with both hands all at the same time.

Our best experience while there was actually the least structured: hiring a water taxi to leave before sunrise so we could photograph nature and the iconic leg rowing fisherman as the day started. Most of my favorite photos were taken on this trip, including the featured image at the top of this post, were taken during this early outing.

While there, we also took a tour of one of several local villages built on the lake. For us, this included the floating gardens, a trip to the monastery, and a tour of a lotus silk weaver — people in this region are well known for their textiles. There are several other cultural attractions depending on your interests.

After a couple of days, it was time to move on to the next stop, which in this case involved an elephant sanctuary. If you want to read more about Inle Lake, there is a separate post on how to get there.

Not far from the enchanting Inle Lake is an unassuming dirt road leading back into the forest canopy. Follow it and you will find an oasis in remote Myanmar, but this refuge wasn’t built for humans — this is an elephant camp.

The result is one of the most amazing animal experiences imaginable. You start by feeding the elephants — there are never-ending baskets of melon and banana tree. What’s striking is how gentle the massive creatures are… They weigh as much as 10,000-11,000 pounds each but are as sweet as kittens.

The first thing that struck me was how much complete freedom you’re given. Throughout your stay, you may freely feed, wash, and eventually ride an elephant without anyone limiting your interaction. The second thing that struck me was “this place would be a liability nightmare in the US”, but not because it’s at all unsafe — you’re always surrounded by attentive staff and I never once felt unease.

The second thing that struck me was “this place would be a liability nightmare in the US”

Regarding safety, you’ll also notice there aren’t any “tuskers” in the photos; that is, a male elephant with iconic ivory tusks. They do have one such bull on site, but our visit coincided with mating season, so he was separated far from the group, as the men tend to get temperamental.

Washing and riding an elephant was honestly something I never thought I would do — it’s one of those things that wasn’t even on my bucket list for lack of imagination. It was incredible, and certainly makes you appreciate these creatures, and nature in general, even more.

The forests of Myanmar are populated by as many as 5,000-8,000 wild Asian elephants, but all too often these wild elephants are captured and put to work in the timber industry, sometimes legally, sometimes illegally.

This baby elephant was very precocious. He knew he was in the medical tent to get some vaccinations and was not happy that he was about to see the doctor!

Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp is funded by tourism, which is a brilliant approach, as the experience is both educational and recreational. Each group of 2-3 people has the chance to sit down for tea with a mahout (elephant caretaker) to learn more about their elephants, what brought them here, and Asian elephants in general. You leave with more knowledge, excitement to tell as many people as you can, plus this great experience. Although we were short on time and only stayed for a few hours, they offer overnight experiences as well, and are located near the amazing Inle Lake.

As a parting note, I should mention that the elephant camp aims to be ecologically friendly, so they grow a lot of their food on-site using renewable methods, thereby minimizing their environmental impact. Many staff are locally employed as well, with a goal of providing employment and economic opportunity for the surrounding town. Finally, the elephant rides given are very short (about 5 minutes) and each elephant only gives a maximum of one or two per day.

Imagine a beautiful lake untouched by hordes of tourists, where fisherman have learned to row with their legs in an iconic technique and floating gardens and houses form the periphery. Also imagine the most terrifying experience you’ve ever had in a motor vehicle, and that pretty much sums up my trip getting to Inle Lake.

If you haven’t already read my experience at Inle Lake, click here, as that’s a good place to start so you know why I sought to visit this amazing place, otherwise read on for my journey to get there.

The area surrounding Mandalay is bucolic and stunning, but you’ll notice there aren’t any major highways.

To reach Inle Lake, you first must understand infrastructure in Myanmar. There’s no easy way to get anywhere, at least not yet, so getting around is like trying to bring me to a shopping mall; it’s a lesson in patience and compromises, with periodic moments of sheer terror thrown in.

Downtown Mandalay

In this case, I was arriving from Mandalay and departing to Yangon. To get there from Mandalay, the options were flying, bus, train, or car. Those are also possibilities going to/from Yangon, but any travel by ground would entail many, many hours, so we elected to fly.

Given that, we decided to get to Inle Lake via car, a trip of about 6-7 hours. The train would taken much longer with an overnight in a small town, and the prospect of traveling a winding road in a bus loaded with people in 110 degree weather sounded like my own personal definition of hell.

I don’t know if we made the right decision and, honestly, I don’t know if there is a right decision. The price was worth it (about $110 for the car and driver, and you can split that between as many friends as you have with you), but the journey was terrifying given Burmese road rules [or lack thereof], no guardrails on a tall mountain pass, and a noteworthy lack of seat belts. If I could do it all over, I’d insist on seat belts in the car when booking it. That said, when we asked our driver to help us access the seat belts (which had essentially been uninstalled and bolted under the seat), he cheerily replied “Ah yes! Ok, ok. It’s okay!” then proceeded to get back in the car and continue driving like a robber fleeing the scene of a crime.

Our “floating hotel” on Inle Lake.

Once in Nyaungshwe, it’s easy to find a long-tail boat to take you to wherever you’re staying on the lake, or you can stay there for the night. The average time to a hotel on the lake varies from 30-60 minutes, depending on the hotel’s location. From my understanding, there are no other entry points to the lake, so regardless of where you’re staying, this is your starting point.

Heho Airport

Leaving was much easier than getting to Inle Lake. We spent the morning at a nearby elephant sanctuary, one of the my coolest experiences anywhere then flew from the nearest airport, Heho.

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